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| 1 I, therefore, in the first year of Darius the Mede, was at my station to strengthen and embolden him; |
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| 2 and, now, the truth, I will tell thee:–Lo! there are, yet three kings, to arise–belonging to Persia, and, the fourth, will amass greater riches than they all, and, when he hath strengthened himself in his riches, the whole, will stir up, the kingdom of Greece. |
And the fourth – Darius 111, Codomanus. C26
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| 3 And so a hero king, will arise,–and wield great authority, and do according to his own pleasure; |
A mighty king – Alexander the Great of Greece. C26
Shall rule – Alexander conquered the world in the short period of 13 years. C27
With great dominion – The High Priest of Israel showed Alexander this prophecy and interpreted it to foreshow that the Persian power should be overthrown by Alexander. C27
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| 4 but, when he hath arisen, his kingdom, shall be broken in pieces, and be divided, toward the four winds of the heavens,–but not to his own posterity, nor according to his own authority which he wielded, for his kingdom, shall be uprooted, even for others besides these. |
The four winds – Among his four Generals: Ptolemy in Egypt, Seleucus in Asia, Lysimachus in Asia Minor and Cassander in Macedonia. C27, C31
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| 5 But a king of the south, will become strong, even from among his rulers,–and will prevail against him, and have authority, a great authority, shall his authority be. |
King of the south – Egypt. C27
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| 6 And, at the end of years, they will league together, yea, the daughter of the king of the south, will go in unto the king of the north, to make peace, but she shall not retain strength of arm, neither shall he stand, nor his arm, but she shall be delivered up–she herself, and they who brought her in, and he who begat her, and he that strengthened her in the times. |
King of the north – The Grecians, and afterwards, the Romans. C27
Not an individual monarch, but the Roman empire's representative. C32
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| 7 But one will stand up from the sprout of her roots, [in] his stead,–and he will enter the army, and enter into a fortress of the king of the north, and deal with them and shew himself strong; |
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| 8 yea, even their gods, with their molten images, with their delightful vessels of silver and gold, with a host of captives, will he bring into Egypt,–and, he, will stand more, years, than the king of the north; |
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| 9 so will the king of the south, enter into the kingdom, and then return unto his own soil. |
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| 10 But, his sons, will rouse themselves to war, and gather together a multitude of large armies, but he will come on and on, and overflow and pass through,–and will return and wage war, up to his fortress. |
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| 11 Then will the king of the south, be enraged, and go forth and fight with him, with the king of the north,–and will raise a great multitude, but the multitude, will be delivered, into his hand. |
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| 12 And, when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart, will be uplifted,–and he will cause tens of thousands to fall, but will not conquer. |
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| 13 Then will the king of the north again raise a multitude, greater than the first,–and, at the end of the times–some years, he will come on and on with a great army, and with great substance. |
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| 14 And, in those times, many, will rise against the king of the south,–and, the sons of the oppressors of thy people, will exalt themselves to confirm the vision, but will be overthrown. |
To establish – To seemingly fulfil. C25
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| 15 Then will come in the king of the north, and cast up a rampart, and capture a city of strongholds,–and, the arms of the south, will not rise, nor the people of his chosen ones, and there shall be no strength to rise. |
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| 16 So shall he that cometh against him do according to his own pleasure, and, none, shall stand before him,–therefore will he take his stand in the beautiful land, and it will languish and be exhausted in his hand. |
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| 17 Then will he set his face to enter, with the might of all his kingdom, and, equitable terms with him, will make,–and, a daughter of women, will he give him to corrupt her, but she will not remain, nor, his, shall she become. |
Daughter of women – Cleopatra. C28
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| 18 Then will he turn his face to the Coastlands, and will capture many,–but a commander, will bring to an end, his reproach against himself, that, his reproach, return not unto him. |
After this – The following verses merely touch prominent characters down to Papacy and then, identifying it, pass on to the end of its power to persecute, and a detailed account of Napoleon Bonaparte. C28
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| 19 Therefore will he turn his face towards the fortresses of his land,–but he shall stagger and fall, and shall not be found. |
Then he – Mark Antony. C29
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| 20 Then will rise up in his stead, one causing an exactor to pass through the ornament of the kingdom,–but, in a few days, shall he be broken in pieces, not with anger, nor in battle. |
A raiser of taxes – "Caesar Augustus sent forth a decree that all the world should be taxed." (Luke 2:1) C29
Augustus was the first ruler to introduce to the world a systematized taxation. C29
In the glory – The most glorious epoch, Rome's "Golden Age." C29
Another translation reads, "the glorious land of the kingdom," applying specially to Palestine and fitting in exactly with the record in Luke 2:1. C29
Of the kingdom – The Roman empire. C29
But within few days – Within a few years after he reached the zenith of his power. C29
Nor in battle – Augustus died a quiet death, whereas his predecessor and his seven successors in imperial power died violent deaths. C29
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| 21 Then will rise up in his stead, one despised, and they will not lay upon him the dignity of the kingdom,–but he will come in unexpectedly, and strengthen the kingdom by flatteries; |
A vile person – Tiberius, a cruel, sensual, despicable tyrant. C30
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| 22 and, the arms of an overflowing flood, will sweep all before him, and they shall be broken in pieces,–moreover also, the prince of a covenant; |
Shall they – All opposers. C30
Be overflown – Be swept away. C30
Also the prince – Christ Jesus. C30, C126
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| 23 and, by reason of the leaguing against him, he will work deceitfully, and will come up and become strong, with a small nation. |
Made with him – The Senate recognized him as Emperor. C30
With a small people – The Praetorian Guards, 10,000 picked troops organized by Tiberius and kept by him continually at Rome to overawe the people and Senate and abolish elections and assemblies. C30
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| 24 Unexpectedly, even into the rich places of the province, will he enter, and will do what neither his fathers nor his father's fathers had done, prey and spoil and substance–among them, will he scatter,–and, against strongholds, will he devise plots even until a (convenient) time. |
He shall scatter – Divide. C31
Among them – Among local governors. C31
The prey, and spoil – Of the countries tributary to Rome. C31
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| 25 Then will he stir up his strength and his heart, against the king of the south, with a great army, and, the king of the south, will wage war, with a great and exceedingly mighty army,–but will make no stand, for they will devise against him plots; |
And he – Aurelian, Emperor of Rome in the days of Zenobia, 272 AD. C33, C32
King of the south – Egypt. C32
Forecast devices – Treacherously devise plans. C32
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| 26 and, they who have been eating his delicacies, will break him in pieces, and, his army, will he overwhelm like a flood,–and many wounded, will fall. |
Shall destroy him – Aurelian was assassinated by his own Generals. C34
Shall overflow – His army was successful. C34
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| 27 Now, as for the two kings, their heart, will be set on acting wickedly, and, at one table, will they speak, falsehood,–but it shall not succeed, for yet is the end for an appointed time. |
Both these kings' – Imperial power slowly dying and clerical power slowly coming to life and ambition. C34
But it – The league of the clergy and the civil power. C35
Shall not prosper – Then, in Aurelian's time. C35
Even Constantine was hindered by the temper of the people from accomplishing at once and as rapidly as was desired a union of the forces of church and state. C35
For yet – "Because as yet the end is unto another time." The union between clergy and civil power could not prosper because the 1260 years, counted from that date, would bring the end too soon. C34
The end – Of the 1260 years of papal persecution. C35
The time appointed – In 1799 A.D., and could not, therefore, have begun in Aurelian's day as it would then have terminated before the time appointed. C35
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| 28 So then he will return to his own land, with great substance, with, his heart, set upon a holy covenant; yea he will act with effect, and return to his own land. |
Then shall he – Aurelian, after the overthrow of Zenobia. C33
Return into his land – Rome. C33
With great riches – Zenobia was confined in fetters of gold and nearly fainted under the weight of jewels when led captive into Rome. C33
Shall be against – Aurelian ascribed his victory over Zenobia to the sun. As the Christian deemed the sun unworthy of worship, it is presumed that their refusal to participate in this sun-worship provoked his sudden and violent opposition. C34
The holy covenant – Christianity. Aurelian, on his return, began a persecution of all Christians. C34
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| 29 At the appointed time, will he again enter the south,–but it shall not be like the former, nor like the latter. |
At – This verse and the verse following should be in parenthesis. C35, C46
The time appointed – The Time of the End. C46
He – Napoleon. C47
Shall return – Verses 25 to 28 refer to a previous invasion of Egypt, verses 29 and 30 intimating that the next great invasion of Egypt would be at the Time of the End. C46
And come toward – And invade. C47
The south – Egypt. C47
It shall not be – Not be as great a victory as. C47
The former – Invasion against Cleopatra. C47
Or as the latter – Invasion against Zenobia. C47
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| 30 Then will come in against him the ships of Cyprus, and he will be disheartened, and again have indignation against a holy covenant, and will act with effect,–and again gain intelligence, concerning them who are forsaking a holy covenant. |
For – The reason Napoleon's invasion of Egypt was not as successful as were other invasions was because. C47
Ships of Chittim – Of the Romans. England was once a part of the Roman empire, against the fragments of which Napoleon at this time was fighting. C47
The holy covenant – The truth, by establishing the Concordat with the Pope. C47
So shall he do – And he shall succeed. C47
Shall even return – Change about. C47
Have intelligence – Devise, scheme, operate. C47
With them – Against them. C47
That forsake – That have forsaken the apostate church in Rome. C47
Taking away, not only Charlemagne's gifts of territory 1000 years after they were made; but afterward Papacy's civil jurisdiction in Rome, which was actually recognized from AD 539, 1260 years before AD 1799. C58
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| 31 And, arms, from him, will arise,–and will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and will set aside the continual [ascending-sacrifice], and place the horrid abomination that astoundeth. |
And arms – Strong ones (Young's translation); heady ones. C36
Stand on his part – Stand up out of him, out of the Papacy. C36, C64
They shall pollute – Undermine, defile. C36, C25
Sanctuary of strength – Both the sacred precincts of civil authority, undermined by those in the church who sought for present dominion; and the sanctuary of God, the Church, defiled and degraded by the ambitions of these strong ones. C36
The daily sacrifice – The continual sacrifice, Christ's sacrifice. This does not refer to the interruption of the Temple worship by Antiochus Epiphanes. C25, C36; R1484:3
They shall place – 539 AD is the point in time from which we should reckon the Desolating Abomination set up. C76
The Papacy in embryo schemed to set itself up in power as a sacerdotal empire. C36
The abomination – The central item of this prophecy of Dan. 11. C25
That Wicked One (2 Thes. 2:8); the Man of Sin (2 Thes. 2:3); the Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thes. 2:7); the Antichrist (1 John 2:18); the Son of Perdition (2 Thes. 2:3); the Little Horn (Dan. 7:8); the Papacy (Matt. 24:15). B271; 272; 277; C64; 76; A258
Particularly its doctrine of transubstantiation and the sacrifice of the Mass, supplemented in our day by various theories of self-atonement. C36; D572; F471
The sacrifice of the Mass--a gross error introduced about the third century. R3750:3, R1484:3, R2822:6
That maketh desolate – The result of its overspreading influence would be the desolation of rejected Christendom. D571
By turning people away from the one atonement sacrifice for sins and having their gaze attracted to the priest, the Mass, the blessings and the holy water. R3750:4; C36
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| 32 And, them who are ready to deal lawlessly with a covenant, will he make impious by flatteries,–but, the people who know their God, will be strong and act with effect. |
And such – Of the reformers and the reform movements. D31
Of the host class. C37
The covenant – Their covenant with the Lord. C37
Shall he – The Papacy. C37
By flatteries – Honors, titles, etc. C37
But the people – The Sanctuary class. C37
Do know their God – His character and plan. R2570:1
Shall be strong – Valiant; strengthened by persecution. R2570:1; C37
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| 33 And, they who make the people wise, will impart understanding to the many,–yet shall they be brought low, by sword and by flame, by captivity and by prey, for some days; |
And they – The Reformers at the end of the Dark Ages. B357
Shall instruct many – That the Papacy is the Antichrist, the Man of Sin. C37
Yet they – Those who oppose the Papacy, the faithful few. C37
Days – Here another parenthesis of verse 34 and part of verse 35 interrupts, until the phrase "to the time of the end, because it is yet (future) for a time appointed." C38
Although the length of this persecution is not here stated, we learn from other scriptures that it is 1260 years, ending in 1799 AD. C38
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| 34 but, when they are brought low, they shall be helped with a little help,–and many, will join themselves unto them, by flatteries; |
Now when they – The true Church. OV417:1
Shall fall – When falling, in the 16th century, before the end of Papacy's power. C38; B357; R5911:4
God granted a little help to those falling because of fidelity to his Word; notwithstanding some would fall through persecutions. C38
With a little help – The Reformation movement. C38; OV417:1; B357
The teachings of a few saintly ones gained sufficient headway to bring about the Reformation. R5911:4
But many – Kings and princes; tares. C38, C154
Shall cleave to them – To Protestantism; to the wheat. C38, C154
With flatteries – Honors and titles; promises of help and success if they would shape their courses according to the wisdom of this world. C37, C110
Succumbing, in a considerable degree, to the desire to gain power and influence among the nations. R5911:4
Receiving the favor of the world at the expense of their virtue, their fidelity to Christ. D31
It was flattery of the leaders of the great Reformation that stayed the progress of that good work and caused many to fall from their steadfastness. R1895:2
The kings and princes offered their backing in return for support of their kingdoms. OV417:1
Overcome by flatteries, each reform movement, after accomplishing a measure of cleansing, stopped short. D31
No marks or badges of distinction or flattering homage may be tolerated in the Body of Christ. R1895:2
Had the reformers and their descendants continued faithful to the truth and not succumbed to flatteries, God's grand design might have been accomplished through their honored instrumentality. C50
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| 35 and, of them who make wise, some shall be brought low, to refine them, and to purify and make white, up to the time of the end,–for yet is it for an appointed time. |
Of understanding – Leaders, reformers, teachers, who had been able to instruct many concerning Papacy's errors. C38
Shall fall – Flattery caused many to fall; but let it not be so among us. R1895:2
From being leaders of reform they became leaders into temptation. C48
"A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand." (Psa. 91:7) R414:6
To try them – The faithful few. C38
The checking of the reform movement served, as Papacy's error had done, to further test the saints, to prove whether they were really followers of men or of God. C48
And to purge – Shake loose from all earthly support and confidence in man's wisdom. R414:6
Make them white – Verses 34 & 35, down to and including these words, should be in parenthesis. C38
Even to the time – The fixed time. C25
Of the end – AD 1799. C38
The overthrow of the Papal dominion in 1798 by the French Revolution marked the beginning of the "Time of the End" and opened the way for a multitude of improvements and the increase of knowledge. R24:5
It is yet – A full and correct interpretation of the vision could not be had until the Time of the End. C25
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| 36 And the king, will do according to his own pleasure, and will exalt himself, and magnify himself against every GOD, yea, against the GOD of GODS, will he speak wonderful things,–and will succeed, until exhausted is the indignation, for, what is decreed, must be done; |
And the king – Napoleon was not a king, but the term king is a general one to indicate a powerful ruler. C40
Napoleon, the instrument employed by providence to break Papacy's power and to begin her torture which will end in utter destruction at a later date. C39
France had been, of all nations, most faithful and subservient to Papal authority. Therefore no other nation could have struck Papacy so stunning and destructive a blow as the French. C39
To his will – He was noted for his wilfulness and determination. C40
Above every god – Every mighty one. C40
Marvellous things – Commanding his obedience as a servant, thus shocking the superstitious of the world. C40
The God of gods – The ruler of rulers, the Pope, by fining him ten million dollars, organizing the Papal territory into a republic and taking a Pope as a prisoner to France. C40, C42, C56
Shall prosper till – When Napoleon boldly ignored both the blessings and the curses of Papacy and yet prospered phenomenally, he weakened not only Papal influence over civil governments but also the influence of Protestant systems in matters civil and political. C49
Until he had accomplished his mission of scourging the Papacy and breaking its influence over the minds of the people. C41
Shall be done – The Pope was brought to the verge of ruin in 1797 AD, taken prisoner to France in 1798 and died there the following year. His successor, Pius VII, in 1800, declared that all, including himself, should obey established governments. C42
Since AD 1799 there have been separations between empires and churches, but no new unions. This date marks a new reformation on a more substantial basis--no less thorough than that of Luther and his colleagues. C49
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| 37 and, for the god of his fathers, will he have no regard, nor, for the delight of women, nor for any god, will he have regard,–for, against all, will he magnify himself. |
God of his fathers – The Papacy. C42
The desire of women – Protestant sects. C42
Nor regard any god – Any ruler. C42
Magnify himself – Nothing but his own personal ambition controlled Napoleon. C42
Himself above all – In opposition to all. C42
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| 38 Howbeit, to the god of the fortresses, in his place, will he give honour,–even to a god whom his fathers, knew not, will he give honour, with gold and with silver and with precious stones and with articles of delight. |
But in his estate – Instead of any of these gods. C42
The God of forces – Military power. C42
His fathers knew not – Other great warriors made acknowledgment to some supernatural powers for victories achieved; but Napoleon ascribed his success to himself and his genius. C43
And pleasant things – The treasures of Europe were taken to France as spoils of war. C43
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| 39 And he will prepare, for the strongholds of the fortress of the sea, the people of an alien god, whom he will acknowledge–will greatly honour,–and will give them authority over the many, and, the soil, will he apportion for a price. |
In the most strong – To strengthen his. C43
Holds – Hold. C43
With a strange god – With the strange (new) god. C43
Whom he shall – Whoever will. C43
Acknowledge – Acknowledge him. C43
And increase – Him will he give much honor. C43
He shall cause them – Shall cause such. C43
The land for gain – Gratis, among his relatives and favorites. C43
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| 40 And, in the time of the end, will the king of the south, push at him, and the king of the north, will rush against him, with chariots and with horsemen, and with many ships,–and he will enter the lands, and overwhelm and pass over; |
And at the time – The fixed time. C44
"The time pre-fixed." (Douay) C46
Of the end – AD 1799. C38, C68
King of the south – Egypt. C44
Push – Marking the particular event that is to be understood as the exact date of the beginning of the Time of the End--Napoleon's invasion of Egypt from May 1798 to Oct. 9, 1799. C44
King of the north – England. C44
Like a whirlwind – Nelson's attack on the French fleet was conducted with a degree of vigor never surpassed. C45
And with horsemen – The Egyptian Mamelukes. C45
With many ships – The English forces consisted of a navy under Admiral Nelson. C45
And he – Napoleon. C45
And pass over – And pass through victoriously. C45
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| 41 yea he will enter the beautiful land, and, many [lands], shall be laid low,–but, these, shall be delivered out of his hand, Edom and Moab, and the first portion of the sons of Ammon; |
The glorious land – Palestine. C45
Children of Ammon – Napoleon kept to the coast and did not enter, but passed by these lands. C45
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| 42 yea he will thrust forth his hand against the lands,–and, the land of Egypt, shall have no deliverance;
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| 43 and he will have authority over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the delightful things of Egypt,–with Libyans and Ethiopians among his followers; |
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| 44 but, tidings, will terrify him, out of the east, and out of the north,–therefore will he go forth with great fury, to destroy and to devote many; |
Out of the north – The second coalition, composed of England, Russia, Naples, Turkey and Austria. C46
Make away many – Many nations. C46
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| 45 and will plant his palace-home between the seas, towards the beautiful holy mountain, but shall come to his end, with none to help him. |
Of his palace – His palatial tents. C45
Holy mountain – Mt. Tabor, the mount of transfiguration, where one of his most important battles was fought. C45
Or Mt. Sinai, visited by Napoleon and his scientific corps. C45
Come to his end – Death as an exile. C46
None shall help him – He was forsaken by all. C46
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